Why is the other coach mad?

"Why is the other coach mad?"

I wish those words were said by someone on the team I was coaching about the other coach.

But they weren't.

They were said about me.  From a kid on the other team, asking their coach why I was upset.

I didn't think it'd happen, but for a moment on the soccer fields last Saturday, I was that parent/coach, chewing out (or what I prefer to call "real-time coaching") my child for not doing what I had asked them to do.  Nevermind the other players weren't really listening either.  After what seemed like the gazillionth time I had told my child to 'not watch the ball' (and instead 'go after the ball', 'stop the ball', and a kagillion other variations of that sage advice), I must've looked a little upset.

And truth is, I was upset.  I was upset that we were getting our tails kicked (not keeping score in youth sports is one of the biggest farces ever.  Everyone can say we can say we're not keeping score, and yet every kid, parent, and coach is mentally keeping score.  I have yet to meet one who doesn't). 

I was upset that my child wasn't listening. 

I was upset because this simple advice really could help the team.

And later on I was upset that I wrapped my own ego- my parenting ego, my coaching ego, my athletic ego- basically a lot of who I think I am- into this game- and when things didn't go well, I got upset. 

Geesh.  Guess I still have a long ways to go  . . .